One additional point that prospective graduate students should keep in mind regarding future prospects is the very high likelihood of gainful employment requiring substantial geographic mobility. For an academic position, you really need to be open to a national or international search process. I didn't think this would be a problem when I started my PhD program - - - but the world (or at least your own priorities) changes quite a bit when children enter the picture. If geographical constraints are important (or may be in the future), an MS degree may leave you with more opportunities within a particular area than a PhD would.
Matt -- Matthew Bakker Postdoctoral Fellow Center for Rhizosphere Biology 311 Shepardson Department of Horticulture Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO 80523-1173 http://matthewbakker.wordpress.com/ On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 5:15 PM, malcolm McCallum < malcolm.mccal...@herpconbio.org> wrote: > I got a private email from someone who wishes to remain anonymous, but > I am posting some of their comments with some possible help for those > trying to make it through. > > > 1. grad students are used as grunt labour, we are teaching assistants. > One > > class I was a teaching assistant form began with TA's writing quizzes. > Now > > everything has been reformatted so that it is cookie cutter. The quizzes > > are premade and there is limited opportunity for innovation. This is > > especially true in lower level courses. > > Yes, you are correct. That is why if you can get some of those things > done you will be so attractive. No one is Superman. I did the TA > rought for my PHD. I am WELL aware that the workload is immense. I > think I slept on average 5 hrs a night, often less during my PHD. > IDEALLY, you can devote 100% of your time to school, lab > responsiblities and research. Throw in a spouse and child and you > just dragged your degree another 2 years realistically. This is > because a doctorate requires certain benchmarks be made, quickly or > not. Just do the absolute best you can. > > > > 2. The peer-review process can be tediously long and this idea reinforces > > the notion to publish or perish irrespective of the quality of the work. > > We've all read papers that should never have been but persons must > publish. > > A grad student needs to protect him/herself from being overly choosy > about submissions. > Early in your career PUBLICATIONS of ANY KIND are important. After > you get about 5-10 > minor things then your dissertation work shoudl be in the process of > submission. Also, > talk to your advisor. Often, they have some minor stuff sitting > around that has not been > published due to time or loss of interest. Finally, learn how to do > the "cook book" paper. > Set up a quick experiment that will take a week and have findings that > are largely predictable. > Then send it in to a small time journal. It will be published in > months to a year if you did not > stretch the implications of your study and you stick to the facts. > The more you write, the > better you get at it. The more you think about it, the less you get > done. Sometimes DONE > IS BETTER THAN PERFECT. We strive for perfection, but we get > somethign less. Its important > to remember this FACT. Setting up studies that are simple and quick > give you practice evaluating > when your big study is really done enough too. Again, the more you > do, the better you get at it. > > > 3. It is impossible for every student to be successful writing such > grants. > > There is only so much money available. > > I agree that it is difficult. I disagree that it is impossible. Try > submitting small grants with realistic budgets. Using one of those > pilot/short studies above mentioned to collect data to support a small > grant will go a long way to success. I was a grant proposal writer for > a not for profit. I know that most proposals go unfunded, and you > typically must resubmit multiple times. Last I heard, the average > first submission is rejected, many second submissions are later > funded, if you go beyond three there might be something more serious > wrong with your delivery. But I am talking to ONE AGENCY. You submit > to NSF now, then again in the next cycle. GRANTS ARE THE HARD PART. > > > > 6. Wonderful concept but we are trying to figure out how long it takes to > > complete tasks and some deadlines may flag. > > The deadlines set in front of you are the realistic ones. Stop trying > to figure them out, the folks who put them in place have already found > them to be tried and tested. Few make all deadlines, but at least you > can make it a habit to make most deadlines, and that will be > impressive to your advisor, committee members, and prospective > employers when your references say such in their letters or in phone > calls and emails. > > > 7. I strongly believe this. I had a professor that refused to let his > PhD > > students stay beyond 5 years.O > It is very hard to graduate in 3 years. Four years is obtainable for > most people if they hit the ground running and have no big issues pop > up. The difference between 4 and 5 years is often how lucky you > were!!! Anything over 6 years is usually for very GOOD Reasons (maybe > some permits got pulled or you got sick, advisor died, or you changed > your focus and advisor), or for very bad reasons. > > Malcolm
